Annatto

Open fruit of de achiote tree (Bixa orewwana), showing de seeds from which annatto is extracted.

Annatto (/əˈnætoʊ/ or /əˈnɑːtoʊ/) is an orange-red condiment and food coworing derived from de seeds of de achiote tree (Bixa orewwana). It is often used to impart a yewwow or orange cowor to foods, but sometimes awso for its fwavor and aroma. Its scent is described as "swightwy peppery wif a hint of nutmeg" and fwavor as "swightwy nutty, sweet and peppery".[1]

The cowor of annatto comes from various carotenoidpigments, mainwy bixin and norbixin, found in de reddish waxy coating of de seeds. The condiment is typicawwy prepared by grinding de seeds to a powder or paste. Simiwar effects can be obtained by extracting some of de cowor and fwavor principwes from de seeds wif hot water, oiw, or ward, which are den added to de food.[2]

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The annatto tree B. orewwana is bewieved to originate from Braziw.[3] It was probabwy not initiawwy used as a food additive, but for oder purposes such as rituaw and decorative body painting (stiww an important tradition in many Braziwian native tribes), sunscreen, and insect repewwent, and for medicaw purposes.[4][5][6] It was used for Mexican manuscript painting in de 16f century.[7]

Annatto has been traditionawwy used as bof a coworing and fwavoring agent in Latin America, de Caribbean, and oder countries where it was taken by Spanish and Portuguese expworers in de 16f century. It is awso cawwed by wocaw names such as achiote, bija, roucou (Peru, French Guyana), koesoewe or kusuwe (Suriname), onoto (Venezuewa),[8]atsuete (Phiwippines), or urucum and coworau (Braziw).[9] Its use has spread in historic times to oder parts of de worwd, and it was incorporated in wocaw cuwinary traditions of many countries outside de Americas.[8][10]

Annatto is used currentwy to impart a yewwow or orange cowor to many industriawized and semi-industriawized foods. In de European Union, it is identified by de E number E160b.

Annatto has been a traditionaw coworant for Gwoucester cheese since de 16f century. During de summer, de high wevews of carotene in de grass wouwd have given de miwk an orange tint which was carried drough into de cheese. This orange hue came to be regarded as an indicator of de best cheese, spurring producers of inferior cheese to use annatto in order to repwicate it. The custom of adding annatto den spread to oder parts of de UK, for cheeses such as Cheshire and Red Leicester, as weww as cowored cheddar made in Scotwand.[11][12] Many cheddars are produced in bof white and red (orange) varieties, wif de watter being more popuwar despite de onwy difference between de two being de presence of annatto as a coworing.[13] That practice has extended to many modern processed cheese products, such as American cheese and Vewveeta.

The yewwow to orange cowor is produced by de chemicaw compounds bixin and norbixin, which are cwassified as carotenoids. The fat-sowubwe cowor in de crude extract is cawwed bixin, which can den be saponified into water-sowubwe norbixin. This duaw sowubiwity property of annatto is rare for carotenoids.[15] The seeds contain 4.5–5.5% pigment, which consists of 70–80% bixin, uh-hah-hah-hah.[14] Unwike beta-carotene, anoder weww-known carotenoid, annatto-based pigments are not vitamin A precursors.[16] The more norbixin in an annatto cowor, de more yewwow it is; a higher wevew of bixin gives it a more orange shade.

In de United States, annatto extract is wisted as a cowor additive "exempt from certification" and is informawwy considered to be a naturaw coworing.[17][18] Foods cowored wif annatto may decware de coworing in de statement of ingredients as "cowored wif annatto" or "annatto cowor."[19]

Annatto condiments and coworants are safe for most peopwe when used in food amounts, but dey may cause awwergic reactions in dose who are sensitive.[20][21] In one 1978 study of 61 patients suffering from chronic hives or angioedema, 56 patients were orawwy provoked by annatto extract during an ewimination diet. A chawwenge was performed wif a dose eqwivawent to de amount used in 25 grams (0.88 oz) of butter. Twenty-six percent of de patients reacted to dis cowor four hours after intake, worse dan syndetic dyes such as amaranf (9%), tartrazine (11%), Sunset Yewwow FCF (17%), Food Red 17 (16%), Ponceau 4R (15%), erydrosine (12%) and Briwwiant Bwue FCF (14%).[22]

As annatto is a source of tocotrienows, such as geranywgeraniow—compounds simiwar in structure and function to vitamin E—its extracts were under prewiminary research as of 2015[update] to determine deir potentiaw biowogicaw properties in humans. In one such appwication, annatto geranywgeraniow is an ingredient in an experimentaw medicaw food being investigated for its effect on bwood wipoproteins.[25]